new music

Madrid based noisy shoegazers 'Sheens' have exploded onto the musical canvass with this immense demo release entitled 'Screens'. Ones to watch as the summer progresses this track is full of full on fuzzy layered shoegaze! This track is their first attempt at home recording and we reckon that it is immense! Look out for more from this band as the summer rolls on! 'Screens' has now gone up on our 24 hour rotation over onwww.primalradiolive.com

In the realm of instrumental shoegaze noise-rock, psych & post-rock it is the ability of the musician and or musicians to collectively carry a project to its finality thats the most important overriding factor. These modern day creators of psychedelic gazing are tasked with the job of carefully enticing listeners into their world by virtue of a sonic journey through many layers of infectious mind bending tone & shape and on into a blissful arena of sound. Musicians need to be masters of their craft & commit to enthralling listeners with their collective creative abilities in order to achieve their fans adoration. One such band have continued to impress not only me but the vast majority of the underground shoegaze, noise-rock, psych & post-rock world with their stunning musical soundscapes & their collective ability to bring listeners to their music on a psychedelic rollercoaster ride through waves & waves of addictive shoegazing goodness.

From their earliest creations Edinburgh based sound gazers 'Wozniak' have produced mind numbing music of brilliant shimmering proportions. 'Wozniaks' first release 'MFMB / New Hampshire' was a tiny crack in the surrounding framework that encompasses their musical world but what it did was to allow us to briefly peek inside. Listening to it let us collectively (as music fans first & foremost) sample a small sliver of their psychedelic might. It wasn't until the release of their immense EP 'Pikes Peak' that they broke the mould & unleashed a torrent of beautifully inspired shoegaze & noisey post rock infused cinematic sounds into the atmosphere that are so good they actually had the ability to sweep up this listener & carry him on an awe inspiring wave of shimmering musical brilliance.

Wozniak live - photo by Bruce Cowie

After releasing the brilliant explosive single 'Five Star' back in November 2014 as a follow up to the mighty 'Pikes Peak' the band have released another stunning collection of tracks on Morningside Young Team Records aptly named - 'Auster'. The EP takes its name from the Roman God of the south wind, and reflects the elemental forces at work on Auster’s four stunning tracks. With its swirling snarl of guitars, dark, dirty bass tones and tom-heavy drums, the EP builds on 'Wozniak’s' previous releases revealing sophisticated sounds and songs that reveal themselves over repeated listens. 'Auster’s' layers of shoegaze sounds are underpinned by a noise-rock intensity and the expansive structures of post-rock bringing to mind comparisons with Slowdive and Mogwai.

This latest release opens up with the rather beautiful 'Snow Effect'. Glimmering guitars, addictively layered lead progressions, fuzzed out intricate bass lines, the steading presence of John Sinclair on drums mixed with that absolutely stunning standout vocal performance from Sarah Cuthbert-Kerr makes this track shimmer. As opening tracks go this has to be one of the best that I've heard this year. 'Snow Effect' has the ability to tell a story through the medium of music. Its chorus alone will shake up your memories & have you dreaming of the heady sunny days gone by. This is an absolutely stunning first track!

The opening salvos of 'Wings Of Pegasus'charge into the musical atmosphere & instantly bring you back down to earth with its full on instrumental noise-rock swagger accompanied by that ( a- typical of Wozniak ) swirling maelstrom of guitars courtesy of both Simon & Sarah's penchant for guitar effect pedals & their ability to craft wondrous sounds from them! This is an addictively repetitive monster of a track that belongs on an early Death In Vegas mixtape & should in my opinion be remixed for the dance floor at some stage further down the road.

Next up on this immense release is another instrumental masterpiece - 'Gospel Of Infinity'is a call to arms. It builds from its very first repetitive chord progression whilst sitting on top of Johns Sinclair's rolling drum pattern & intertwining with yet another addictive bass line courtesy of the brilliant James Urquhart until the band eventually explode in unison as one swirling singular mass of gazing noisy sound waves.

The closing track on 'Auster' is simply EPIC. 'Hester & Zelda' is eight minutes plus of pure joy. Itscinematic beginnings are steeped with post-rock tendencies but don't be fooled. Wozniak refuse to be tamed within any genre specific borders. They unleash a full on sonic assault on your senses that will have you on the one hand gazing at your shoes immersed in a beautiful swirling mass of sound & on the other I can guarantee you will spend your time being absolutely amazed at this tracks post-rock infused glory. A truly wonderful track by a band who are not afraid to experiment by beating & bending sound until its moulded into their preferred shape. Stunning!

If creating & releasing music can be classed as a continuous progression with each step a betterment of yourself as a musician or as a collective of musicians then Wozniak have made a serious leap up the musical ladder with this latest EP release. What 'Auster'shows is that this band are one with their music & that they have the ability to create serious waves in todays underground musical landscape. I firmly believe that they have (as a collective) raised the musical bar for others to see clearly. This is a bold statement of intent from a band that I have a lot of time for & who I know have a lot more to give to us paltry music fans going forward. This EP is a must have for any serious music fan reading this (who like me) love their music on the shadier side of noisy post-rock but with that full on atmospheric shoegaze wall of sound.

It is my belief that the sounds 'Wozniak' are creating today will be influencing new bands for years to come.

Del Chaney has spent the last three years not only fronting popular Irish Electronic duo Analogue Wave but also dedicating his time to uncovering the best artists in the Unsigned or Small Independent Label based Shoegaze Dream Pop Post-Punk & Post-Rock genre’s of music from all over the globe & reviewing them for this blog - The Primal Music Blog. His other arm - Primal Radio - has gained considerable respect from bands and promoters alike since its conception in 2013 & has hepled him in actively promoting a genre of music that he is passionate about. Hailing from Dublin, Ireland, he is a keen Vinyl Collector, Tattoo Fan & all round good guy! He is a self confessed music freak & is never far away from a studio console or a turntable.

'Sever' is the latest offering from the brilliant UK based'I Am Your Captain'. This brand new track is lifted from the forthcoming album due for release sometime over the next few months. 'I Am Your Captain' is the solo project of Air Formation bass player - Ben Pierce. This latest offering is another sublime cinematic journey through layers of reverb drenched shoegaze & it typifies the brilliant sounds crafted by this band on their previous releases! The haunting vocals, yearning (almost subliminal) drum patterns, addictive bass lines & droning atmospheric guitars are what instantly attracted us to this immensely intense band. Last years release from the band - 'As My Heart Rate Slowly Drops' appeared on Primal Radio'sTop 5 EP's of 2014. If this latest track is anything to go by then the full release is bound to be epic! You can check out the bands other releases by following the link below to their bandcamp page.

Echodrone are something of a fascination to me. I seriously assumed it was all over for the band after the release of 2012's brilliant album 'Bon Voyage'? So, when I heard that they were on the verge of releasing a brand new album, I got really excited. I'm a big fan of this band. 2015's epic brand new 10 track release entitled 'Five' not only see's the band introducing new members to their ranks but also reflects just how far they have come musically, as a collective unit. With a new impetus surrounding the construction & structure of their songwriting plus the added bonus of having a heavyweight independent record company ( Texas based - Saint Marie Records) behind them, Echodrone have crafted a stunning atmospheric soundscape full of shoegaze, dream-pop, post-rock & psychedelic promise. Hailing from San Francisco, California, Echodrone's history spans a full 8 years on musical landscape littered with failed gazers. From their early 2007 self titled 4 track release 'Echodrone', through to their epic 2010 opus 'The Sun Rose In A Different Place' and on into my personal favourite album of theirs, 2012's brilliant 'Bon Voyage', Echodrone bring a added bonus to the psychedelic shoegaze & dreampop table. Traditionally they have always had immense production on every one of their releases - 'Five' is no different. This is a stunningly emotive & truly awe inspiring album. It swoops & soars through sonic walls of psychedelic guitars with ease. The vocals are beautifully produced & are allowed to grow as the album plays through each track. There's a new electronic element to the band that enhance's the overall listening experience. This album takes you in & opens the door to another world. Its breathtakingly beautiful. We've picked a few of our favourite tracks from this epic release & you can read about them below.

'Falling From Planes', the second track on this immense release is burst of impressive shoegaze with dream-pop flair. Building like a steam train, only to explode on the musical canvas, spewing forth sonic waves of goodness infused with swirling walls of guitar, solid bass & drum tracks, synths to die for & a brilliantly produced vocal, this track epitomises what Echodrone are about, for me! Expressive & emotive musical stories depicted in the art of gazing. It is simply Immense!

Just let our second pick from the latest release from 'Echodrone' entitled - 'Five', wash over you from it's opening notes! 'Glacial Place' soothes your soul with its atmospheric tones from the off. It's addictive guitar lines lure you into the safety of it's impressive walls of sonic goodness. With effected duel vocals swirling around a brilliantly executed bass line, coupled with a steady drum beat, this track yet again brings this listener to another level all-together. Instantly one of my favourite track's so far of 2015, a year which promises to be one of the best yet for album releases, 'Glacial Place' is beautiful.

Swells of sonic delight announce the arrival of a musical behemoth. 'When The Two End Meet' is an absolutely immense track. A swirling maelstrom of synth lines, bass, drums & walls of effected guitar fight it out for the spaces between the vocal parts. This track is a musical battle of wills with the only winner ultimately being the listener! A truly monumental track of epic proportions. One to savour with headphones on.

You can listen to any track on this album and truly get sucked into a world of atmospheric shoegaze infused, dream-pop & psychedelic landscapes. The production work going on under the main instruments draws you in & keeps you focused on what needs to be heard. 'Echodrone' have found that happy medium between old school Gaze & modern day explosive Nu-Gaze! This is a truly epic release on all fronts. If, come year end, this album doesn't make it as one of the best albums of 2015 - I'll eat my hat! I think this band will only go from strength to strength going forward & I for one will be supporting them when they do - Bravo Echodrone!

We Rate This A Stomping -10/10

You can find out more information about 'Echodrone' by following their various social media outlets:

Del Chaney has spent the last two years not only fronting popular Irish Electronic duo 'Analogue Wave', but also dedicating his time to uncovering the best artists in the Unsigned or Small Independent Label based Shoegaze, Dream Pop, Noise-Rock & Post-Rock genre’s of music from all over the globe & reviewing them for this blog - The Primal Music Blog. His other arm, 'The Primal Radio Show', has gained considerable respect from band’s and promoter’s alike since it’s conception in 2013 & has helped him in actively promoting a genre of music that he's passionate about. He also currently write's for Canadian based online music webzine www.ReplicantEars.com. Hailing from Dublin, Ireland, he is a keen Vinyl Collector, Tattoo Fan & all round good guy! He is a self confessed music freak & is never far away from a studio console or a turntable.

It is difficult to walk around Dublin these days and not find a live band in some pub or another banging out the same sounding alternative rock and not thinking to yourself that you've heard this all before! Ireland has been rehashing the same old, same old musical trite for years with varying musical success and a lot of musical failures. It's music scene is very circular in nature and doesn't react kindly to change. In fact, in some cases it doesn't know how to react to 'NEW' sounding bands, with new musical ideas! Makings are one of those 'NEW' bands that are changing the perceptions of Irish music, not only on the live scene, but with the songwriting and soundscapes that the band are creating in the studio. With wide musical influences coursing through every single track, the band have a canny knack of sounding relevant, but a new relevant!

Having recently finished up recording their debut album 'Cognition' and then managing to get one of the top producers in England, Chris Potter, who has previously worked with The Verve, Blur & The Rolling Stones, to pick over the production details, the band have been working tirelessly on the live circuit, perfecting their sound to hopefully catapult themselves skyward and breathe new lifeblood into the Irish music Scene and its fans.

On first listen to the Dublin based four piece's debut album 'Cognition' you can hear what they're trying to achieve. It is packed full of influences and, yes, it shows off the bands diversity in song writing and song structure but it also shows that these guys actually listen to their musical influences and they take on board what is needed to connect all of these influences together to make something interestingly 'NEW' sounding which is a very difficult thing to do these days. I can hear 70's Bowie and T-Rex in all its Glam Rock finery, 80's Depeche Mode with their electronic drums and Synths, theres's 90's Creation Records experimental layered guitar sounds in there with new millennium Primal Scream pulsing through its veins! Theres also a nod to the modern day Dance Music Scene with the bands brilliant use of sequencers and samplers and the bands use of vocal harmonies, both in their live sets and in the studio, are second to none! Every member of the band sings on this album! Put simply, it has something for every single music fan, but it stands outside the box on its own merits too. Very few bands can say that in the modern Irish music scene. Which is something great and 'NEW' in my opinion.

The first track on ‘Cognition’ is iClone. Opening with a distinct, infectious Synth pattern, this track is the bedrock of the album and sets Makings Electro-Rock stall up with an assault on your senses from the off. The vocal arrangements by the band on this album are amazing and lead vocalist; Rick Burn’s vocal range is immense. You can hear why his vocal style has been compared to the brilliant lead singer from ‘Faith No More’, Mike Patton. But it’s the bands clever use of sequencers and keyboards, just sitting under the mix, that catch this listener’s ear. This is a welcome theme running right the way through ‘Cognition’ and should hold the band in good stead going forward. It’s very different to what’s going on in Ireland at the minute. It’s ‘NEW’, ingenious even? But this type of sound only works when you have accomplished musicians to carry the production either live or in a studio setting and Makings have them in spades. From Drums to Guitars, Bass and Keys, every section of the band knows exactly what they are doing at any given time and are hard working. That’s the difference.

You can pick any one of the tracks on this album and not find a flaw. Maybe that’s down to the production work of Chris Potter, maybe it’s down to the band, but it works for me. I love the distinctive influential sounds that you can pick out of each track. For example, my favourite track on the album is ‘Heart Attack’. A well-written and well-executed electro-rock tune that I can instantly relate to. I can hear Dépêche Mode and early Acid House style sequencing, albeit slowed down, all over it. Likewise on the bands latest single ‘DIG’, where again the band’s clever use of electronic instrumentation, with a steady drumbeat, pulsing bass, charging guitars and Rick Burn’s distinctive vocal style coming to the fore take the track by the scruff of the neck and force you to listen. In fact, you can listen to them all - Lunatic, Let’s Touch Me, 46a, Man On Fire, Suffocate, She’s Got The Lips, Mythomania, Icarus, The Woolgatherer, Nazarene and No Turning Back and I can guarantee that you to will hear different influences and styles from different era’s screaming back at you. It’s exciting to hear an Irish rock band doing something different. Not pigeon holing themselves in the ever-decreasing cyclical nature of Irelands music scene. This is a completely new animal for the Irish music buying public to get their teeth into and I for one hope that they do. I hope they support a band like this because in turn this will allow Makings to soar to the heights that I know they can go and I wish them well on their travels.

Keep your ears and eyes out for them, go and see them live whenever you get the chance, because they wont disappoint you.

You can follow the bands progress on Twitter & Facebook and check out two tracks by the band below:

Makings are a Dublin based electro-rock band comprising of two Irish men, Rick Burn and Mr Reynolds, a Scott, Barry Shock and an Argentinean, Raul Marcos. After recording their debut EP ‘Lunatic’, which received “Full marks for exploring so far outside of the box” (Jackie Hayden, Hot Press) and proving to be “Extremely powerful in a live environment” (Shane Buckley, Music Review Unsigned)Makings embarked on the collaboration with legendary producer Chris Potter (The Verve, Blur, Rolling Stones) and ‘Cognition’ was born. This is a stunning piece of work by an Irish band that deserves respect.